Obituary for Richard Heitz

Richard was born April 16, 1947 to William H. and Letha I. (Personnett) Heitz in Superior, Nebraska where he spent his younger years. The family moved to Berthoud, Colorado and then Longmount, Colorado. After two years in Colorado, the family moved to St. Joseph, Missouri where he attended grade school and graduated from Lafayette High School in 1965. Richard enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967 and served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne where he was awarded the Bronze Star. In 1969, after being honorably discharged, he came to Ponca City where he met Linda Sue. Richard and Linda were married in April 1976. He worked at the Conoco refiner before deciding to follow his love of working with wood and became a carpenter. He worked for Don Bouldin as a trim carpenter for several years before opening his cabinet shop with Harold White called Creative Cabinets. With the onset of premade cabinets he sold his part of the business and went back to work at Conoco. Richard worked in South Plant Operations until retirement in 1996. Richard and Linda traveled with the group at Pioneer Bank for years. They also traveled to several counties in Europe with their friends from Ohio. In 2004, their daughter Teresa Sue Smith, started a new business named 1st Class Estate Sales. Dad and mom were asked to help get it started. Thus began the new venture in his life. He enjoyed visiting with many of the husbands who would sit in the garage while the wives shopped in the sale house and many new friends were made. He loved to be around his family and watch his great-granddaughter grow up. Life was good when he was invited to a fish fry at the Smith Farm.

Richard was preceded in death by his mother and father. He leaves behind his wife, Linda Sue; brothers, Larry Heitz and wife Tela of Cottontown, TN and Ron Heitz and wife Charlotte of Colorado Springs, CO; daughter, Teresa Sue Smith and husband Carl of Hunter, OK; granddaughter, Andrea Sue Storm and great-granddaughter, Lynna Sue Storm or Ponca City, OK.

Graveside services will be Monday May 4th, 2 p.m. at Resthaven Memorial Park. Honorary casket bearers are Larry and Ron Heitz, Carl Smith, Steven Leonard, and Jodi Cline.

Source: Trout Funeral Home